Filling machines for filling containers with a liquid filling material are known in different versions and for different filling methods (e.g. pressure filling, pressureless filling, free jet filling etc.). Also known in particular are filling machines of a revolving design with a rotor that is driven so as to revolve about a vertical machine axis, with a large number of filling positions for filling the containers, each having a filling element with a filling material delivery opening and a container support, being formed at the circumference of the rotor.
For hygienic reasons alone, in particular also to avoid microbial contamination of the filling machine and possibly also during a product changeover, it is necessary to clean, disinfect and/or sterilize the filling machine and, in particular, its components and/or flow paths that convey the filling material. This cleaning and/or disinfection is basically performed as CIP cleaning and/or CIP disinfection in a cleaning and/or disinfection operation, namely using closure elements, for example in the form of rinsing caps or rinsing sleeves, with which the filling elements in the area of their filling material delivery openings are closed at least liquid-tight.
In this context, it is also known from DE 10 2009 033 575 A1 to move closure elements, which are independently assigned to each filling element and arranged at the rotor, such movement being effected by pivoting about an axis oriented parallel to the machine axis between a parking position, in which the closure element is located during the filling operation, and a working position, in which the closure element, underneath the filling element and during the cleaning and/or disinfection operation of the filling machine, tightly presses against the associated filling element in the sealing position. A self-contained pneumatic drive is provided, at each filling position, for the movement of the closure elements, with the being designed as a lifting-and-pivoting drive, not only for the pivoting of the closure elements between the parking position and the working position but also for the lifting of the closure elements parallel to the machine axis so that they can be pressed against or removed from the filling element concerned. This solution is complex in design, expensive, and also fault-prone.
Also known is a container treatment machine of a revolving design, as shown in DE 103 40 365 A1, with several treatment stations, each with a treatment head, provided at the circumference of a rotor that is driven so as to revolve about a vertical machine axis. Underneath the treatment heads, a support ring which concentrically encloses the machine axis, is provided, with several exchange component groups being provided successively on the support ring in the circumferential direction of the support ring, each exchange component group having several different exchange components for adapting the treatment heads to different containers and/or modes of operation of the container treatment machine. The exchange components, of which an exchange component in each exchange component group is also a closure element for CIP cleaning and/or CIP disinfection of the treatment heads, are located underneath the treatment heads and move, with the rotor revolving, on a common path of movement with the treatment heads. Pivoting or twisting the support ring can couple the respective desired exchange component to each treatment head. A certain disadvantage of this is that, for example, by arranging the exchange components on the orbit of the treatment heads, i.e. at the same radial distance from the machine axis as the treatment heads, a minimum distance must be kept between neighboring treatment heads. This imposes design limitations.